When Ewald Schafer took over the village dairy in Cressier, between Morat and Fribourg, Switzerland, the dairy was primarily producing Emmental. As the Schafer's were local people, they soon felt that Emmental cheese should be made in the Emmental, and not in Cressier/Fribourg. Therefore, with great enthusiasm and optimism Ewald put his heart into developing a new kind of cheese. The first Mont Vully was produced in 1994. The cheese immediately found favor with cheese lovers; people began to ask for it more frequently and in larger quantities. As a result the Schafer's were constantly able to increase production. As time went by, Ewald was making more Mont Vully than Emmentaler and in 1998, only four years later, he stopped making Emmentaler altogether.

The base for Mont Vully is local, fresh milk from cows fed exclusively on grass and hay. The fresh, raw milk is thermised, where it is heated for 20 seconds at 150 F/66°C. Thermisation serves to eliminate undesirable bacteria without destroying the desired ‘good' bacteria. The latter are extremely important for the maturing process, flavor and texture. The cheese is then cellared for 10 weeks, where the wheels are turned and washed with brine and Pinot Noir (from the hills of Mont Vully, of course!) to help them mature. In 1998 Mont Vully won a gold medal at the Käsiade in Tirol in a field of 357 competitors. In the semi-hard cheese category our Mont Vully was classified as exceptional. This award lent Ewald wings and made specialist cheese buyers sit up and take notice.

Mont Vully Classique is an exquisite semi-hard cheese, perfect for every occasion, whether it's breakfast, brunch, supper or a simple snack, in a sandwich or on the cheese board for dessert. With its soft, delicate texture, its color ranging from ivory to pale yellow and its mild and pure, slightly piquant flavor, this original cheese is always a hit.

I had to give it a five because my brother loved this cheese I sent as a gift, but I actually threw mine away. Mine was so redolent of smelly socks it made my fridge smell, but my brother, in another part of the country (perhaps cut from a different cheese?) said his was mild and smooth. The reviews I read in advance of trying were very good and there was no indication of my kind of response, so go figure

By Nancy Robisonfrom Houston TXon Dec 19, 2016

Really delicious cheese

Unusual n complex flavor. Smooth n delicious.

By BBfrom Boston, MAon Dec 04, 2016

My guests really enjoyed this cheese

Unique, mellow, special.

By jimfrom Silicon Valleyon Jul 01, 2016

winner

i held a wine and cheese night with 14 cheeses. This came in second place. Very good. I intend to buy again.

To be fair, my wife ordered this cheese, as she loves wine-soaked Italian cheeses, like the Pecorino di Brillo. But I ended up eating most of this Mont Vully cheese. It's like a Swiss Gruyere, but the wine gives it a slight fruitiness. It's sort of hard to put your finger on, so you go back for another slice to make sure it's still as good....